Liquid-brushing device



March 1, 1960 L. ADLER LIQUID-BRUSI-IING DEVICE Filed Jan. 23, 1957 lnver/for LEON ADLER. flmfl A for/96y I 2,926,374 LIQUlD-BRUSHING DEVICE Leon Adler, Clayton, Mo. I

Application January 23, 1957, Serial No. 635,864

6 Claims. (Cl. 15140.4)

This invention relates generally to an applicator for applying liquids to the desired bases, and more especially for wiping such a liquid onto a metal surface that is to have some sort of mechanical work done on the same.

The application of a liquid as a coating to a metal surface is now quite common in most machine shops, the coating being extremely quick-drying and of dark color, so that after the coating has dried, a scriber or other machine tool may be used to cut through said coating so that the metal surface will be exposed and will appear in sharp relief against the dark-colored background, to designate the exact delineations for the subsequent machining work that is to be done on the metal work piece. This sort of liquid is commonly called a lay-out fluid.

The principal object of my invention is to so construct such an applicator mechanism that it will include the various component parts held together as an integral unit, consisting of a can or bottle-closure cap carrying a brush or other suitable wiping or brushing element mounted at one end of a hollow shaft, the other end of said shaft communicating with a combined liquid-holding compressibly hollow handle, there being a restricted-area channel communicating between said wiper element and the shaft to control passage of all of the liquid into or from the interior of said handle.

Another object of the invention is to so construct such a device that the detachably mounted applicator member will seal against the liquid-reserve container of the device, in two distinct sealing areas so as to effectively seal against leakage.

Still another object of my invention is to so construct a device of the kind hereinbefore mentioned, that enough liquid will be taken into the hollow handle element of the device to serve as a coating for practically all of the work pieces apt to be encountered in the usual machine shop, to avoid the necessity of re-dippings .of the applicator during the coating of a single work piece and which would cause overlap marks to appear in the completed coated area. 7 v V An added object of the invention is 'to mount a cleanout means as an integral part of the applicator unit, so that in the rare event that any clogging should occur at a point in said restricted-area channel, said means may be conveniently manipulated to remove said obstruction, this means being of such a reduced size as to not interfere with the proper flow of liquid through said channel.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to'which this invention appertains, as will be more clearly apparent from the disclosures hereinafter given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, combination and form of parts herein shown and described, and as will be more clearly pointed out in the specification and claims,

represent like or corresponding parts throughout the views, I

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through the device,

showing some of the parts in elevation;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional detail, taken substantially through the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the applicator shaft and its brushing element, on a very much enlarged scale; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the same, taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The use of a lay-out fluid that is to be brushed onto a metal surface is of course not new in itself, but as now employed is open to various objections. These devices are of either the' brush-dip type or of the fountainbrush type.

The brush-dip type may carry a screw cap unitary with the brush element, for sealing onto a fluid-reservoir. Bearing in mind that the brush must not hold this fluid for too long a time when in use, and which would cause the brush to dry out if this time interval had passed, the brush must be constantly re-dipped into the reservoir before the surface of the work-piece is fully coated. Obviously, overlap marks would appear on the coated surface, and this is objectionable.

The fountain-brush type takes up its supply of fluid into the handle, through the tuft of bristles itself, and there is often a drying out or clogging of the passageway between the brush and the handle, and this is similarly objectionable.

In the instant invention and as exemplified in the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, there is a transparent or transluscent liquid-receiving container or main supply reservoir 1, usually in the shape of a bottle or can of such desired size, shape and capacity as to be easily grasped with one hand by the user, said container having at its upper end a reduced-diameter hollow neck portion with an opening therethrough into the container. The annular exterior of this neck portion is provided with a screw thread 2 or the like, and the inner annular surface of said neck is smooth and even. This container is preferably made of a material that is inert to the action of the liquids that it is intended to contain and we have found that a material such as polyethylene or some similar material is highly suitable for the purpose.

The applicator member may consistof several cooperating elements interconnected to form a single integral unit that may be handled as such and including a cap for detachable engagement with said container to seal against leakage and evaporation of fluid, a brush or wiper for applying the coating liquid, and means for the intake or storage of said fluid into the applicator member and for subsequently feeding it therefrom as required.

The cap element is formed with a transversely extending end wall 3 with an annular flange 4 depending therefrom, the inside surface of said flange provided with a screw thread 5 for cooperative engagement with the screw thread 2 on the container neck, so that when this cap is screwed down into sealing engagement with the container, the end wall 3 jams tightly against the rim of the bottle neck.

In addition, a second annular flange 6 depends from the under side of the end wall 3 concentric with the flange 4, with such spacing therebetween that the flange 6 will slidably and frictionally engage the smooth inner surface of the container neck as'the cap is screwed down, thus affording a second sealing area between the cap and the container, to not only prevent accidental leakage of fluid therepast, but to seal against any transfer of air that might tend to dry out the brush or the container contents.

A resiliently compressible preferably transparent or translucent hollow bulb-q7 is carried by the cap to extend upwardly therefrom and may be of generallyf'elom gated shape, it sodesired, to comfortably fitinto the palm of the hand while the-userholds the unifapplicator by the cap, thereby enabling theuser' to squeeze and manipulate the bulb while so holding, to either fill the bulb with liquid or to expel the liquidfrom the-bulb. 1

said bulb, of course, having an axial openings thereinto from its lower end. :The cap andbulb,-too, are -pref-' erably made of a material that is inert to the action of the liquid that is to be dispensed, as for-instance: of polyethylene or some similarly suitable material.

An elongated hollow tuba-column or shaft 9' has its upper end communicatingwith the interionofsaid-bulb, as through said'opening 8.

- An applicator or wiper;element -10,-made':o f any'suitable material capable'of holding said liquid-, and fle xible enough to efliciently brush the same-onto the desired work surface, such as of tuftof bristle as indicated, or

of felt, etc., has its upper portion tightly clamped or otherwise firmly secured to lie within the lower end portion of the tube 9 as indicated in the portion 11, said clamped portion of the element 10 being sufficiently tight to prevent flow of liquid in either direction throughsaid clamped portion of the applicator element.

A channel or passageway 13 is formed to extend longitudinally of said hollow shaft exteriorly of-said secured outwardly projecting portion of the wiper element. The wiper element will be maintained in properly wet condition during use, inasmuch as fresh liquid is constantly fed onto the latter during the wiping operation, and there will be no tendency to cause overlapping effects on the work surface being coated.

Although differently sized bulbs may be used, I have found from practice that one having a capacity of about one-half ounce will be sufficient to meet most needs that will occur in most shops, and this amount of liquid will coat approximately 300 square inches of surface.

The container may be of any desired capacity, but here too, I have found that one with a capacity of about 5 fluid ounces'will servemost purposes and will hold the container to a size that is very easily handled.

It is again stressed that the flow between the bulb and Wiper is not through the entire length of the latter, but is externally of the same, so that there is little likelihood of saidfelement drying out, especially when it is made of'a tuft of bristles. Also, with the channel 14 situated exteriorly of the brush element, this channel, and which might well be called a capillarytube, is readily accessible portion of tuft and this passageway maybe formed in any suitable way, as for example by providing a longitudinally extending hollow rib thatis open along one side, and interposing a plate or shield element 14 between said tuft and said open side of the rib; The channel I for clean-out purposes if such operation ever becomes the shaft, and the other end of said wire may be proor passageway thus formed communicates with the interior of said shaft at its upper end, asindicated at 15, thus providing the passageway for the travel of liquid into and from the bulb as will be hereinafter described, and serving as what may be termed a capillary tube.

It is highly important that the effectivecross-sectional area of said passageway be so restricted that there is no gravity flow of the liquid therethrough, and in effect forming a capillary tube, so that all flow-through said tube must be controlled by the compressing and releasing action of the'bnlb; Of course, the effective transverse area of said tube must have a relationshipto the viscosity of the particular fluid intended-to be used, and

- I havefound that when using anon-settling liquid havill vided with a hook 18 projecting for accessibility beyond said'channel so that said hook may be grasped and manipulated by hand or with any suitable tool, In addition, the wire may be provided with a loop or kink 19 at some point intermediate the wire length and lying within saidchannel passage, so that reciprocation of said wire will scrape the portion 19 along the inner wall of the channel and break off or otherwise remove the obstruction that might have lodged in said channel.

I claim:

1. The combination with a container fora reserve supply of liquid which has an opening through its top, of a combined container closure and liquid applicator member to seal said container when mounted on the latter and which is used as an applicator for said liquid when detached from the container, said member including sealing means engageable with said container to act as a closure therefor, a yieldably compressible hollow bulbhaving'an opening through its lower end, a hollow elongated member having its upper end communicating with the interior of said bulb, a liquid applicator element,

will then be drawn into the bulb from the container, the

amount being visible through the bulb itself. Now, after the applicator has been detached from the container, the cap is held by; the fingers of a hand, and the-brushing operation done while so holding the cap, and, when there is more liquid needed on the brush, this'is provided by a slight squeeze of thebulb, preferably by thepalmof the hand, said liquid expelling gently onto the exterior, portion of the wiper element so that the latter becomes a carrier for saidliquid as the tuft is brushed'onto the selected workpiece. 'Thisfliqu'id so expelledwill thus and means inside said elongated member for dividing a limited portion of the opening therein adjacent its lower end into two sections the first of which includes the upper portion of the applicator element and the second of which is'a channel enabling the liquid to pass around the applicator element, said last-named means holding one end of the applicator element in the elongated member with the other end projecting out of the elongated member in a position to receive liquid that passes through said channel, said last-named means so restricting the size of said channel that gravity liquid flow is avoided.

2. The combination of claim 1 having in addition a manually operable clean-out element located in said channel and mounted for reciprocal motion longitudinally by-pass' that portion of the wiper element that" is cemented, clamped orj'othe'rwi'se' gripped within" said shaft, 5 and discharge directly onto the exterior -=surface of the in the channel.

,3. The combin'ationwith" a container for a' reserve supply of liquid which has'an' opening through its top, of

a combined container closure and liquid applicator member to seal said container when mounted on the latter and whichisu'semasan applicator for said liquid when detached from the container, said member including sealing means engageable with said container to act as a closure therefor, a yieldably compressible hollow bulb having an opening through its lower end, a hollow elongated member having its upper end communicating with the interior of said bulb, a liquid applicator element having its upper end in the lower part of the opening in said elongated member, and means inside said elongated member for compressing the portion of the liquid applicator element that is in said elongated member into a restricted section of the opening in the elongated member thereby dividing said opening into two sections one of which forms a bounding side wall for said portion of said element and the other of which is a channel for the liquid to allow'it to flow around said portion when the bulb is compressed, the other end of said applicator element projecting out of the elongated member in a position to receive liquid that passes through said channel.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said means so restricts the size of said channel that gravity liquid flow is avoided.

5. A liquid applier for wiping liquid therefrom onto a work piece comprising means adapted to be detachably mounted on a liquid reserve container to serve as a closure therefor, a compressible hollow bulb having a lower end fixedly attached to said means, an elongated hollow member having its upper end communicating with the lower'end of said bulb, liquid applier means located in the lower end of said hollow member for partially closing the channel therethrough while providing a limited passageway between a part of the inside wall of said member and said liquid applier means, said liquid applier means extending out of the lower end of said member into a position whereby it will receive any liquid that passes from the bulb through the member and out of the latter, and means in said hollow member for so compressing the portion of the liquid applier means that is in the hollow member as to prevent flow of liquid through the liquid applier means and for also so restrieting said passageway to avoid gravity'flow therethrough.

6. The combination with a container for a reserve supply of liquid which has an opening through its top, of a combined container closure and liquid applicator member to seal said container when mounted on the latter and which is used as an applicator for said liquid when detached from the container, said member including sealing means engageable with said container to act as a closure therefor, a yieldably compressible'hollow bulb having an opening through 'its lower end, a hollow elongated member consisting of a single piece and having itsupper end communicating with the interior of said bulb, a liquid applicator element, and means inside the elongated member for dividing a limited portion of the opening in said elongated member adjacent its lower end into two openings the first of which is filled with a limited portion of the applicator element and the second of which is a channel enabling the liquid to pass around the applicator element, the outlet end of the opening in said elongated member which constitutes said channel terminating at a distance below the upper end of said applicator element equal to the distance below the upper end of said applicator element at which the other opening terminates, said means holding one end of the applicator element in the elongated member with the other end projecting out of the latter in a position to receive liquid that passes through said channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 66,446 Beach July 9, 1867 1,364,566 Logan Jan. 4, 1921 2,253,779 Gutierrez Aug. 26, 1941 2,520,605 Maynier Aug. 29, 1950 2,582,721 Roshkind Jan. 15, 1952 2,594,638 Goodenow et a1. Apr. 29, 1952 

